The present invention relates to a method of continuous production of corrugated sheets consisting of a material impregnated with a binding agent, such as a thermosetting resin, wherein a web of material after pre-impregnation is passed through a corrugating zone and subsequently through a heating and curing zone. Further, the invention relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method.
Known methods for production of such corrugated sheets or plates, e.g. facade plates for building purposes and the like, include use of cooperating rollers or toothed wheels and rollers, whereby a web of material is corrugated by being influenced by ribs or gear teeth during feeding between the cooperating rollers or toothed wheels. This method enables continuous production, but the production equipment has little flexibility with respect to possiblities for variation of corrugation pattern and degree of corrugation. Further, the use of rib rollers or toothed wheels on either side of the material web involves the necessity of using suitable intermediary layers between the ribs and the material web on both sides thereof, for example intermediary webs of cellophane extending over the entire width and length of the sheet material web.
Another common method is to use separate forms or moulds for moulding and curing of the plates. In this connection it is known to use travelling supporting or lower moulds into which the web of material is fed or pressed. This production equipment does not give any possibility for variation of the corrugation, and the method is not so rapid and rational as desirable either, as it requires heating of the moulds themselves and in addition cleaning of each separate mould after each moulding.